Improvement in straw-cutters



, Y l z sheath-sheet 1.4 D. MAXWELL. I sTRAW-CUTTER.

Patented Jan. 1e, 1877.

N. FPEERS, PHOTG-LITHOGHAPHER. WASHINGTON D C "UNTTEDN STATES PATENT Cerros.

DAVID MAXWELLOF PARIS, ONTARIO, CANADA.

liVI PROVEMENT IN STRAW-CUTTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 186,261, dated January 16, 1877; application tiled May 8,1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID MAxwELL, of

Paris, in the county of Brant, Province of On-4 tario, and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Straw-Cutting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descripline x fr, Fig. l; and Fig. 3 represents an elevation of that end of the machine which is at the left hand in Fig. l.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

My invention relates to that class of strawcutting machines in which the material to be cut is moved against the cutters by feed-rollers; and the object of my invention is to provide a means of determining the speed of the rollers, and the direction of their rotation, whereby the feed is `increased or diminished at will, or the material removed from the cutters when desired. To that end my invention consists in the combination of the parts employed in actuating the feed-rollers, as will be more fully understood from the following description and claims.

In the drawing, A represents the frame of the machine, which may be made in the form shown, or in any other suitable form that will receive the operating parts. B is* the main driving-shaft, journaled in the frame A, and so adjusted as to freely revolve. C is the driving-pulley, mounted on shaft B, and around which is passed a belt (not shown) communieating with any suitable motor, for imparting a rotary motion to the shaft. D is the balance-wheel, mounted on shaft B, and carrying revolving cutters, adjusted to act in conjunction with a stationary cutter affixed to the exit end of the feed-boxD'. E is a beveled i gear-wheel, mounted on shaft B, and adjusted frame. G is a gear-pinion, mounted onthe shaft F, and adjusted to engage a like gearwheel,G', on the longitudinal shaft H, passing under the feed-box D', and journaled at its ends in suitable boxes secured to the crosspieces a b of the frame. J is a vertical lever, fulcrumed upon shaft H, and so arranged as to admit of a free and easy oscillating movement. d is a spring-latch, hinged to the side of lever YJ and adapted to take into notches cfg, formed in the periphery of a quadrant, K; permanently attached to the end of the frame. L is a gear-wheel, mounted on shaft H, and-adjusted to engage with corresponding intermediate gear-wheels M M', journaled to lever J on opposite sides of wheel L. Mounted upon the shaft of wheel M is an intermediate gear-wheel, m, adapted to revolve with wheel M. `B' is a longitudinal`shaft,journaled in boxes secured to the cross-pieces a e of the frame, and carrying the lower feed-roller N. C' is a gear-wheel, mounted on shaft B', and adj usted to alternately engage with wheels M' and m, when lever J is so adjusted as to allow spring-catch d to takel into the respective notches e and g of the quadrant. Mounted on the end of shaft B' opposite the wheel C' is a gear-wheel, F', which engages with a like gear-wheel, H', on shaft J', which shaft J' is journaled at one end to a rock-shaft, I, secured in boxest t', attached to cross-piece c of the frame, and is connected at the opposite end to the shaft of the upper feed-roller N' by a knuckle-joint, h. (Shown in Fig. l.) The shaft of the roller N' is journaled in adjustable boxes 'n nfattached to the sides of the feed-box D', by which means the roller is allowed to adjust itself to different thicknesses of material passing under it, and by means ofthe joint connecting the shaft of the roller 4to shaft J' the inner end of said shaft J' is allowed to ascend or descend with the roller withoutdsengaging the gear-wheels F' and H'. P is a depending frame, loosely secured on the shaft of the upper roller, and extending downward slightly below the lower feed-1 roller N, and is hinged at its lower end to a horizontal frame, P', hinged to one ofthe side pieces of the frame. S is an adjustinglever, fulcrumed at its inner end to the center- .piece of the frame, and loosely connected t0 lever is in its normal position.

the inner end of frame P'. This lever extends outward slightly from the frame, and is so arranged as to receive a weight. The arrangement of this lever, together with frames 'P and P', is such as to exert a uniform presslto be moved slightlyitoward wheel C' by a movement of the upper end of the lever toward the front of the machine, when catch d is fulcrumed in notch f of the quadrant, by which means wheel L is made to engage wheel U', for reversing the movement of the feedrollers. K' is a flat metal spring, permanently attached to the frame A, and adapted to bear against shaft H, by which means wheel L is held from contact with wheel U', when the One end of the main driving-shaft B, and of shaft F, is fitted to receive an ordinary crank, by which the machine may be operated by hand when desired.

1n operating my said machine, the material to be cut is placed in the feed-box D, and lever J so adjusted as to allow the spring- 'catch d to take into notch g of the quadrant, thereby engaging wheel M' with wheel C', for

operating the feed-rollers `N and N', and motion is then imparted to the main drivingshaft B, which is communicated to the feedrollers through the medium of the gear-wheels,-

moving the feed-rollers in an opposite direction, and causing the material in the feed-box to pass between said rollers to and in contact with the cutters. To reduce the speed of feeding the material to the cutters, lever J is so adjusted as to allow spring-catch d to take into notchre of the quadrant, disengaging wheel M' from wheel C', and engaging wheel m with wheel G' To reverse the movement of the feed-rollers should they become clogged,

the lever. is adjusted to bring catch d into notch f, disengagingwheel m from wheel C'. The upper end of the lever is then moved toward the front of the mach-ine, thereby moving its lower end toward the rear of the machine, engaging wheel L with wheel C', which reverses the rollers, and causes the material lin the feed-box to move from the cutters HENRY HART, JAMES MORE. 

